Daniel Interpreting to Belshazzar the Writing on the Wall

This painting tells a dramatic biblical story from the 6th century BCE. Babylonian king Belshazzar, in blue robes, committed an act of sacrilege by using sacred Jewish vessels during a lavish feast. When mysterious writing appeared on the wall, the prophet Daniel, clad in brownish-red robes, interpreted the message to foretell the downfall of the king’s empire. Within hours, Belshazzar was dead.

Born in rural Pennsylvania, Benjamin West trained in Italy and became Historical Painter to King George III. Exhibiting the painting in 1776, just months before American colonials declared independence, West hoped that Daniel’s warning to a prideful king would encourage reconciliation between Britain and the American colonies.